Nintendo Plans Mario Offensive This Year...

Mario is one of gaming's most iconic figures- mainly down to the exceptional games in which he stars. Many gamers have accused Nintendo of failing to innovate over the last couple of years, but UK marketing manager Dawn Paine has stated that they can get away with it by re-releasing older Mario Games as part of a major brand push this year.

A lot of people who we have brought in have never played a Mario game before – to them Mario 64 DS is a brand new piece of software. It’s another way we have turned conventional thinking on its head – it has proved there is no such thing as ‘old’ software because things are constantly expanding.

Cheeky doesn't quite cover it. There's no such thing as old rope, eh? However, Paine has confirmed that 2011 will herald a new lease of life for Mario in the UK. Mario Sports Mix and Mario vs Donkey Kong are set to start the proceedings.

In the UK we haven’t done as much on Mario as other territories have, so he’s a real focus for us right across 2011. We’ve got two cracking Mario titles kicking off the year for us and there’s going to be a huge marketing push on those.

We'll let you know if they're any good- and hopefully find you some good deals- once the Feburary release date rolls around. [MCV]

PS3 Homebrew & Emulation Deluge Continues

Since our last update on the cracked PS3 firmware situation, infamous hacker GeoHot (yeah, him again) has released a set of Homebrew tools that are kicking the once-dormant homebrew scene into overdrive. Classic console emulators for the SNES, Genesis and even the SCUMM engine are now reportedly up and running- and no, we're not going to link you to them.

Sony is still "looking into" the issue, and have suggested that a firmware update is in the works. Just a suggestion, Sony, but why don't you make it easier for these guys to develop original homebrew and indie applications for Playstation Home? That way, everybody wins- and everybody gets paid.

What do you make of the ongoing situation? Drop us a line in the comments!

Rumour: 3DS Will Be Region-Locked?

Nintendo's handhelds have traditionally been region-free (excluding the DSi), allowing the thriving import market to play Japanese titles or secure cheap deals on NTSC versions. However, a recent Japanese Nintendo newsletter has apparently confirmed that the 3DS will be region locked.

If true, it's likely that this lost functionality is a casualty of enhanced security measures designed to curb the threat of piracy. Nintendo handheld games are traditionally vulnerable to being backed up- and you'd better believe that Ninty are working tirelessly to ensure that the 3DS is much more secure. Having said that, the 3D effect ought to be a barrier to emulation in itself. We'll keep you posted. [GAF via VG247]

Still, City Interactive are going to have another go. They've announced that a sequel is in the works, powered by none other than CryEngine 3 ! Here's hoping that they'll stick to the sniping this time around. [Eurogamer.se]

Wasn't Mario 64DS a reworked version of Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 and as such wouldn’t Mario 64 3DS be the third incarnation of the 15 year old game?

The only positive thing about Nintendo re-releasing old Mario titles is that it's better than trying to reinvent the series dozens of times and essentially destroying the character/brand with terrible games (RIP Sonic The Hedgehog)